Telephone system.



P. M. WOLF L R. M. AUSTIN. TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION EIILED APR. 23, 1912.

1,O8I;,1 89, Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

lili? Wice1 Inventors W Attorneys COLUMBIA FLANonR/wn co.,\\'As|ilN c.

F. M. WOLF L R. M. AUSTIN.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23,1912.

Patented Jan. 18, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventors Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. WOLF AND ROLLAND 1VI. AUSTIN, OF MONROE, WISCONSIN.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

To all whomv it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK M. VoLr and ROLLAND M. AUSTIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Green, State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Telephone System, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in telephone systems, the primary object of the invention being the provision of a novel form of means placed in each subscribers set and especially adapted for use upon party lines, whereby the removal of the receiver from the hook will automatically signal exchange and also the various parties upon the line that the receiver of a certain subscriber has been removed from the hook, this operation taking place when a called and calling subscriber are in communication or when a calling subscriber is calling the exchange.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel form of signaling device included among the instruments of a subscribers set and operably connected with the receiver hook thereof, whereby the removal of the receiver from the hook and the consequent raising of the hook will actuate a device that will produce a plurality of makes and breaks in the circuit which will be indicative of the special subscriber instrument, whereby other subscribers will be warned as to the subscriber that is cutting in upon the line or conversation, thus indicating to them that there is a party desiring to communicate upon 4the line or who is listening to the conversation.

/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a subscribers set with the present signaling device in operable relation therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken from the left of the signaling device as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the signal actuating cain in normal position when the receiver is upon the hook. Fig. 4: is a similar Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fuea Aprii 23, 1912.

Patented J an` 13,1914.

serial No. 692,645.

view to Fig. 3 with the cam in the position it assumes after the receiver has been removed from the hook and the hook is in its uppermost position and just berore the signaling device is automatically signaling. Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view through the retarding device for preventing a too rapid operation of the signal.

Referring to the drawings the numerals 1 and` 2 designate the line wires and more particularly of a party line telephone system. The subscriber-s instrument or set S is located in the usual way and is provided with the signaling device D.

Under normal conditions the receiver hook H, having the receiver R thereupon is held down with the contact lug 3 in engagement with the contact point 4. By this means the subscribers instrument is properly connected to the line for calling, but not for communication by speech. The contact point 4f is connected to the line 2 through the conductor 5, while the contact lug 3 of the receiver hook has the conductor 6 connected thereto, said conductor G being connected to one end of the spring contact 7 as shown in Fig. 1. The spring contact 7 is supported in a block of insulation S carried by a metal bracket 9, which is itself connected to the frame of the signailing device D. The free end of the contact 7 normally is in contact with the free end of the contact plate 10, which is provided with the two lugs 11 between which is journaled the roller 12, the purpose of which will presently appeal'. The upper end of the contact plate 10 is connected to a conductor 13 which is connected with the line wire 1, thus placing the subscribers set in calling condition with relation to the lines 1 and 2.

Ordinarily when the hook H is raised, due to the removal of the receiver R. from the same, the contacts 3 and 4 will be open while the contacts at 14- and 15 will be bridged, thus throwing the transmitter T and the receiver It into the line. The conductor 16 leads from contact point 14: to the conductor 17 which is connected with the primary of the coil 1S, the conductor 19 connecting the receiver R to the coil. The conductor 20, which is also connected to the coil 18, is connected to the local batteries 22. The transmitter T is connected by the conductor 21 to the local battery 22 and by the conductor 2B to the contact point 15. The

conductor 23 is connected through the resistance r to the conductor 21 and to the spring contact plate 24 carried by the metal bracket 9.

The free end 25 of the spring contact plate 24 is disposed to engage the outer tace or the plate 10, as at 26, so that the circuit is closed at this point at the proper time when the contact plate 24 engages the contact point 27 of the spring contact plate 2S. rlhe plate 2S is also supported by the bracket 9 and adjacent to the spring contact plate 24. The conductor 29 is led away from the contact plate 2S, and is connected to the conductor 17 and coil 18.

Signaling device-The signaling device D, consists of a plate or base 31, which has connected thereto and projecting therefrom the posts 32 and 32, respectively, said plate or base 31 being preferably mounted in a vertical position so as to properly support the various parts of the mechanism that are mainly actuated through gravity. A plate 33 is connected to the outer end of the two posts 32 and 32', and constitutes therewith the main frame for the signaling device.

The shaft 34 is journaled in the plate 33 and the base 31 and has keyed upon the outer end thereof the signal actuating disk 35, which as shown is provided with the series of projections a to produce rapid intermittent opening and closing ot the various contacts 27 and 25, as will later appear, while t-he large projections Z) of each series will produce a long closure between contacts 27 and 25 to properly space the rapid circuit closures. upon the various disks are arranged dii'- terently to produce a distinctive signal, so that an interfering subscribers instrument will immediately signal the calling and called subscribers instruments, notifying them that a. third part-y is connected to the line.

The shaft 34 has keyed or riveted thereto, a cam 36 whose periphery is provided with the depression 37, the enlargement 33 terminating in the apex 39, and the long eccentric curved portion 40, none of which curved portions are concentric with the shaft 34.

rllhe signaling device, when in normal position, the receiver being upon the hook, as sumes the position as clearly shown in Fig. 3, wherein the pin 41 is seated within the recess otl the shouldered portion 49 of the cam actuating lever or pawl 47. ln order to properly mount this pawl 47 a pin 42 is connected to the base plate 31 and has mounted thereon the sleeve 43, which carries the actuating' arm 44, said act ating arni 44 being connected to the receiver hook ll by means or a rod 45. Disposed at substantially right angles to the operating arm 44 is a lug or projection 46 which has pivoted l These projections a and b' thereto the cam actuating pawl or arm 47, which as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is provided with the pointed end 43, with the intermediate shouldered portion and the shouldered portion 50, the spring 51 being connected to the arm 44 and the inner tree end ot the pawl 47, so as to normally raise the outer free end 43 thereof into the position as shown in Fig. 3.

Vith the parts normally in the position as shown in Fig. 3, the receiver being upon the hook H, the removal of the receiver from the hook will permit the usual rising of the hook which will cause the rod 45 to rise and actuate the pawl 47 vmoving the same from the position as shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, while in order to automatically actuate the shatt 34 to rotate the signaling disk 35, a. spring or gravity actuated device is provided for completing the movement ot the disk to automatically indicate to the other subscribers and the exchange that the receiver in the particular subscribers instrument has been lifted from the hook. The position ot' tl'ie signaling disk 35 when in normal posit-ion is shown in Fig. 1, but when the shaft 34 has been rotated to assume the position as shown in Fig. 4, the roller 12 is in contact with the surface l at its juncture with the iirst projection a to the lett as shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for automatically operating the signaling disk consists of the vertically slidable rod 52 which is provided with the inverted U-shaped end 53 and with the short termin-al 54, the portion 52 being slid ably mounted in the posts or standards 32 and 32 respectively, while the terminal 54 is slidably mounted in a post 55 carried by the base plate 31. Connected upon the lower end ot the rod 52 is a weight 56, which automatically moves the rod 52 from the position, as shown in Fig. 4, to the position as shown in Fig. 3. 1n order to prevent a too rapid descension of the rod 52 after the same has been raised from the position as shown in F 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, a plunger 57 is formed upon the end ot the rod 54 and is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 59, an air tight gasket 58 being carried upon the inner end of the plunger 57, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. r1`his cylinder or dash pot 59 is provided with the air escape and admission port 60 and is supported in the post 61 carried by the base plate 31.

Mounted upon the rods 52 and 54, below the posts 32 and 55, is a tube 62 which by means ot a pin 63 is rigidly secured to the rods so as to move therewith, in its vertical movement, up and down. One end of the rod 63 has connected thereto a spring 64, the other end of said spring 64 being connected to a post 65 carried by the plate 3l, said spring exerting a tension downwardly to assist the weight 56 in properly moving the rod 52 and the sleeve 62 from the position as shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 3. This spring, however, may not be necessary but is simply employed as an auxiliary to the weight 56, or the weight may be dispensed with and the spring only used.

A pin GG connected to and carried by the sleeve 62, has mounted thereon the antifrictional roller 67 which is in engagement at all times with the periphery of the cam 3G so that when the pawl is moved from the position as shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. t, the roller 67 will ride from the recess 37 over the cam surfaces 38 up to the highest point of the apex 39 of the cam, at which time the pawl 47 will be released from the pin 41 of the cam and the spring (i4,- and weight 56 will exert a tension to move the sleeve 62, and as the tendency of the cam is toward the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4, the roller will ride upon the cam surface 40 and impart rotation to the shaft 341 and consequently the signaling disk 35. This action will cause the projection a of the first series to move the free end of the contact spring 10 forwardly, closing the contact between the free ends 25 and 26, this action thus providing an intermittent make and break at the points 27 and 25 and producing a similar click in the receivers of the various subscribers instruments, or the receivers of the calling and called subscribers when in communication. The notches a-ZJ of the signaling disks 35 may be formed with a different combination, according to the subscribers set, so that no two sets will produce the same signal in the line. 1t will thus be seen that after breaking contact at the spring contact 7, that the moving periphery of the signaling disk 35 will actuate the free end of the contact plate 11 to execute a series of contacts and breaks at Q5 and 27 and consequently in the local battery of the subscribe-rs set, closing the primary winding in the coil 18 and shunting the transmitter by a suitable resistance fr, thus causing a click audible in any rcceiver on the line. An electrical diagram for producing the desired effect is clearly shown in Fig. 1 although it is evident that many modifications of the invention may be made whereby the signaling disks may produce the desired effect to indicate to the called and calling subscriber and also to central or the exchange the exact subscriber interfering with the conversation while callingl the same. rlhe shoulder 50, of the arm 17 is a means to prevent the defeat of this system. Should the switch hook H, be depressed only far enough to break the bridge points 1st-15, and be again raised, the shoulder 50 will engage the pin 41-1, causing the disk 35 to rotate far enough to raise the roller 12 by contact with the peripheral projection d and thereby to break contact between plates 7 and 10, which contacts, due to the disk 35 remaining at such position will remain broken until the switch hook H is sufciently depressed to allow the shoulder L19 to engage the pin 11.

As shown in Fig. 1, the contact 7 of the spring 8 with the spring 10 is broken as soon as the disk 35 is moved from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that shown in Fig. 4f. rlhe roller 12, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 rests in the deeper depression of the periphery of the disk 35, permitting the springs 7 and 1() to contact, only when the parts are in the position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Vhileherein the invention is described in detail, and a combination embodying various features is illustrated, which may at times be used to advantage, it is not the desire or intention of claimants to be limited to the particular arrangement shown, or to an arrangement embodying the various auxiliary features, except as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, a sub-station having a receiver, a transmitter, a receiver hook, a pair of normally closed contacts in the line circuit, a local battery circuit having a switch therein, a rotary device to automatically actuate the switch, and means operably connected to the receiver hook and said rotary device to actuate the device when the receiver is fully removed from the hook and to operate the switch to intermittently open and close the battery circuit and signal to the line, said contacts being held open due to the receiver hook being slightly raised.

2. In a telephone system, a sub-station having a pair of normally closed contacts in the line circuit, a local battery circuit, a receiver, a transmitter, a receiver hook, ia switch in the local battery circuit, a rotary device to automatically actuate the switch, and a pawl and ratchet device operably connecting the hook to the rotary device, whereby the removal of the receiver from the hook will permit the actuation of the device to intermittently open and close the switch to signal the line, a slight elevation of the hook actuating the rotary device to hold the contacts open and until the hook is sufficiently depressed to permit the full engagement of the pawl and ratchet device with the rotary device.

In a telephone system, a subscribers set having a normally closed switch in the line circuit, a local battery circuit, a receiver, a transmitter, a receiver hook and a pair of contacts in the local battery circuit, a rotary device to automatically actuate the contacts of the local battery circuit, and means operably connected to the receiver hook and said rotary device for actuating the device when the receiver is fully removed from the hook to actuate the contacts of the local battery circuit to intermittently open and close the battery circuit and signal to the line, and When the receiver hook is slightly raised to actuate the device to hold the switch open until the hook is sufficiently depressed to permit the full engagement of the operating means with the rotary device.

4. n a telephone system, a sub-station having a local battery circuit, a receiver, a transmitter, a receiver hook, a switch-in said circuit, a ro-tatable shaft, a disk mounted upon the shaft and in coperable relation With the switch, a cam mounted on the shaft, coperable means carried by the cam and the receiver hook for rotating the shaft and disk through the receiver hoo-k When the hook is raised, the rotation of the disk intermittently opening and closing the circuit to signal the line, a gravity biased device operably connected to the cam and forming a locking device therefor When the receiver is upon the hook and an actuating device for the shaft and disk after the cam has a partial rotation imparted thereto due to the elevation of the hook.

5. In a telephone system, a sub-station having a local battery circuit, a receiver, a

transmitter, a receiver hook, a switch in said circuit, a rotatable shaft, a disk mounted upon the shaft and in coperable 30 relation With the switch, a cam mounted on the shaft, coperable means carried by the cani and the receiver hook for rotating the shaft and disk through the receiver hook when the hook is raised, the rotation of the 35` disk intermittently opening and closing the circuit to signal the line, a gravity biased device operably connected to the cam and forming a locking device therefor when the receiver is upon the hook and an actuating 40 device for the shaft and disk after the cam has a partial rotation imparted thereto due to the elevation of the hook, and means for retarding the gravity action of said device and insuring an even actuation of the disk. 45

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own, We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK M. l/VLF. ROLLAND M. AUSTIN.

litnesses:

M. F. MAYBE, PAUL J. VVEIRICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

